Hurricane Helene: Disaster aid OK’d for Georgia. Storm is now Category 4.
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Hurricane Helene
Weather officials upgraded Tropical Storm Helene to a Hurricane Wednesday, September 25, 2024. There are hurricane watches, tropical storm watches and flood watches in effect across nearly all of Georgia until Friday, September 27.
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Editor’s note: This story is no longer being updated. Please check back to ledger-enquirer.com for information on the hurricane.
Hurricane Helene is expected to bring high-speed winds and heavy rain to Columbus Thursday, with forecasters warning residents to be prepared for dangerous weather.
The hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida Thursday and move into Georgia later. Columbus was placed under a hurricane warning that started Wednesday.
Here’s the latest information on how the storm is affecting Columbus.
‘Dangerous flooding possible’
10 p.m. - Excessive rainfall put Columbus at a “high risk” for flooding through Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.
Columbus was in a region with at least a 70% chance for rapid onset flooding, the NWS said.
Hurricane Helene now Category 4
6:30 p.m. - The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Helene has been upgraded to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm.
Damaging wind gusts are supposed to reach well inland from the coast, the NWS said, including well into Georgia.
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
5:38 p.m. - Chattahoochee Valley Libraries announces in a news release that all branches will close Thursday at 6 p.m. They will reopen Friday at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, all of CVL’s digital materials are available 24/7 on its website.
Here’s a list of other schedule changes, closings or cancellations for organizations in the Columbus area.
Biden makes federal disaster aid available
5:01 p.m. - FEMA announces President Joe Biden will make federal disaster assistance available in Georgia as the state prepares for Hurricane Helene.
Columbus Consolidated Government declares local emergency
4:30 p.m. - The Columbus Consolidated Government issued a news release announcing a declaration of local emergency.
The declaration was signed by Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson at 3 p.m., according to the news release.
Hurricane Helene strengthens to Category 3
4:08 p.m. - Accuweather reports Hurricane Helene is now a major hurricane after being upgraded to a Category 3 storm.
Accuweather forecasts Helene will become a Category 4 before making landfall in Florida late on Thursday.
Power outages in Columbus
3:37 p.m. - The Georgia Power outage map showed 3,014 total Columbus customers without power because of eight outages as of 3:37 p.m. Thursday.
The biggest one was near the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Wooldridge Road, where 2,957 customers were affected. Restoration was expected by 4:45 p.m.
Here’s a roundup of Columbus power outages.
Walmart closing early, opening late
3:29 p.m. - The customer service operator answering the phone at the Walmart on Manchester Expressway said the store is closing early, at 6 p.m. Thursday, and opening late, at 8 a.m. Friday. Normal hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Here’s a list of other cancellations and business or offices with closings or changed schedules in the Columbus area.
Here’s when the strongest winds will hit Columbus
2:30 p.m. - Columbus will likely get its strongest winds after 8 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The Muscogee County area has been warned about potential hurricane force winds, but virtually the entire state is at risk of tropical storm winds too.
Harris County EMS plans to suspend services
2:27 p.m. - Harris County EMS posted on its Facebook page that it will suspend EMS services if winds become sustained at 35 mph.
“This is for the safety of our staff,” the post says. “Services will resume when wind subsides below 35 mph.”
Springer Opera House cancels show
12:48 p.m. - Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. performance ofJersey Boys at the Springer Opera House has been canceled. Ticket holders are advised to check the website for more information or call the box office at 706-327-3688. Here’s a list of other cancellations and businesses or offices closing or changing their schedules
Georgia Power has 10,000 ready for storm response
12:15 p.m. - In order to respond to “anticipated widespread damage,” Georgia Power has activated more than 10,000 personnel to respond to Hurricane Helene.
Georgia Power is also getting help from partner organizations, such as Mississippi Power.
“Helene is a very large storm, moving into South Georgia with very little time to substantially weaken, and we expect the high winds and heavy rain to cause significant damage in many of our communities,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “Our teams are well trained and experienced, and we’ve been watching this storm and making every preparation throughout the week. As conditions are safe, our teams will be in the field working to restore power as quickly possible. Even so, we encourage customers to keep safety first in the coming days and prepare for the potential of power outages that could last multiple days due to the size and extensive reach of this storm.”
Columbus Airport flights canceled
11:35 a.m. - The Columbus Airport announced on its Facebook page that Delta Air Line flights to Atlanta at 5:13 pm. and 9:37 p.m. are canceled. Delta Flight DL5403 scheduled for Friday at 6:35 a.m. also has been canceled.
Here’s a list of other cancellations and business or offices with closings or changed schedules in the Columbus area.
Shelters opening in the Columbus area
11:30 a.m. - The frequent severe weather warnings in Columbus have prompted shelters to open and/or extend hours. The SafeHouse Ministries shelter opened Thursday morning and was set to stay open until 1 p.m. Friday, SafeHouse Ministries said in a Facebook post.
WRBL also reported that Valley Rescue Mission shelters will be open starting at 5 p.m. Thursday and stay open until 6 a.m. Friday.
Hurricane Helene is on par with other devastating Columbus storms
10:45 a.m. - As the hurricane nears landfall, forecasters are warning that the magnitude of Hurricane Helene for Columbus may be more significant than any hurricane before it. The wind speeds and rain will rival that of Hurricane Michael or Hurricane Opal, and it could have worse impact than those storms, according to National Weather Service forecaster Lindsay Marlow.
“First and foremost: there isn’t a single storm that fits the anticipated magnitude of possible wind and rain hazards for Columbus from Helene,” Marlow said.
Tornado watch issued for part of Georgia
9:10 a.m. - The National Weather Service says the eastern-most part of Georgia is under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters have repeatedly warned that those on the eastern side of the Hurricane Helene storm eye could be susceptible to tornadoes.
What businesses, offices are closed in Columbus?
8:35 a.m. - See what businesses and offices have announced closures today due to the storm here. We’ll provide updates on this information as more closures or announcements become available.
Helene reaches Category 2 strength
8:20 a.m. - Weather officials indicate Hurricane Helene has strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane, meaning it has sustained winds of 100 mph or greater. Officials announced Wednesday they expect the storm to eventually reach Category 4 status.
Power outages in Georgia
8 a.m. - Power outage issues hadn’t yet affected much of Georgia early Thursday morning, with fewer than 10,000 outages reported across the state, according to poweroutage.us. Want information on how to report power outages or monitor the outages of each provider? We’ve got information here.
See school closures in Columbus area
7:15 a.m. - Many schools at all education levels have canceled classes for one or two days due to Hurricane Helene. Check out the latest information on cancellations here, which we’ll update throughout the day as more information becomes available.
Columbus faces ‘slight’ flood risk
6:30 a.m. - The National Weather Service said late Wednesday that there is a flood risk across all of the state for extending into Thursday morning, but Columbus is among the areas facing a slight risk. Most of the state north of Columbus faces a “moderate” risk, while a portion of northeast Georgia faces the greatest risk for flash flooding.
Recent Hurricane Helene forecast for Columbus
5:30 a.m. - Middle Georgia expects to get rain and a possible thunderstorm before the effects of Helene are felt Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Once the storm arrives Thursday night, hurricane force winds and heavy rain are possible, which is why Muscogee County was placed under a hurricane warning Wednesday. The chance of rain is 100%, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 5:50 AM.
